Method and apparatus for constructing removable partition walls

ABSTRACT

A WALL STRUCTURE IN WHICH CHANNEL-SHAPED STUDS ARE SUPPORTED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP BY CHANNEL CEILING AND FLOOR RUNNERS, THE PARALLEL LEGS OF THE STUDS PROVIDING SIDE SURFACES HAVING LATERALLY SPACED PAIRS OF SLOTS AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED INTERVALS, WALL FORMING PANELS BEING REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE STUDS WITH MARGINAL HOOK MEMBERS. THE PANELS ARE DELIVERED TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITE WITH THE HOOK MEMBERS COPLANAR WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE PANELS. THE HOOKS ARE THEN BENT AT THE SITE INTO INWARDLY PROJECTING POSITION TO EXTEND INTO ONE LONGITUDINAL SET OF THE SLOTS OF THE SLOT PAIRS ON THE STUDS, THE HOOK MEMBERS OF THE OTHER ADJACENT WALL PANEL BEING ARRANGED TO EXTEND INTO THE OTHER SET OF THE SLOTS OF THE SLOT PAIRS. THE STUDS REST UPON FLOOR WEDGES WHICH LOCK THE STUDS INTO REGISTRY WITH A CEILING RUNNER WHICH THUS BECOMES THE REFERENCE POINT FOR VERTICAL ALIGNMENT OF THE WALL PANELS. THE WALL STRUCTURE IS ASSEMBLED BY WEDGING A FIRST STUD IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT IN REGISTRY WITH THE CEILING RUNNER, HANGING A FIRST WALL PANEL FROM THE STUD, PLACING A SECOND STUD ASKEW BETWEEN WALL AND CEILING RUNNERS AND ROTATING OR TWISTING THE STUD INTO FINAL POSITION BY ENGAGING THE UNATTACHED MARGINAL HOOKS OF THE FIRST PANEL IN THE SLOTS OF THE STUD AND THEN LIFTING THE STUD AGAINST THE CEILING RUNNER AND WEDGING THE STUD IN THAT REFERENCE POSITION, WHICH RELATES THE HOOKS AND THE STUD IN FINAL ENGAGEMENT. SUCCEEDING WALL PANELS ARE HUNG AND SUCCEEDING STUDS PUT IN PLACE IN LIKE MANNER, WHILE THE PANELS OF THE OTHER WALL FACE ARE ATTACHED DURING OR AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST WALL FACE.

Sept, 28, 1971 SATKlN ETAL 3,608,266

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING REMOVABLE PARTITION WALLS Filed July 31, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS DAM/0 M s/lr/o/v GE/Vf 5. H51 V/E BY C/MRAES at 77410750 7/ FIG. wa

Sept. 28, 1971 D. M. SATKIN ETAL 3,608,266

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING REMOVABLE PARTITION WALLS Filed July 31, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 H INVENTORS 1 041/0714. 547/0/1/ 6/ 2 65 55/1/15 5. HEL W5 66 BY 07 424551 r/zzarsa/v wawwew Sept. 28, 1971 D. M. SATKIN ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING REMOVABLE PARTITION WALLS Filed July 31, 1.969

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W w W United States Patent Calif.

Filed July 31, 1969, Ser. No. 846,379 Int. Cl. E06b 3/64; E0413 2/76 US. Cl. 52-741 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wall structure in which channel-shaped studs are supported in spaced relationship by channel ceiling and floor runners, the parallel legs of the studs providing side surfaces having laterally spaced pairs of slots at longitudinally spaced intervals, wall forming panels being removably mounted on the studs with marginal hook members. The panels are delivered to the construction site with the hook members coplanar with the inner surface of the panels. The hooks are then bent at the site into inwardly projecting position to extend into one longtudinal set of the slots of the slot pairs on the studs, the hook members of the other adjacent wall panel being arranged to extend into the other set of the slots of the slot pairs. The studs rest upon floor wedges which lock the studs into registry with a ceiling runner which thus becomes the reference point for vertical alignment of the wall panels. The wall structure is assembled by wedging a first stud in vertical alignment in registry with the ceiling runner, hanging a first wall panel from the stud, placing a second stud askew between wall and ceiling runners and rotating or twisting the stud into final position by engaging the unattached marginal hooks of the first panel in the slots of the stud and then lifting the stud against the ceiling runner and wedging the stud in that reference position, which relates the hooks and the stud in final engagement. Succeeding wall panels are hung and succeeding studs put in place in like manner, while the panels of the other wall face are attached during or after the construction of the first wall face.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to wall structures or partitions.

Heretofore, it has been known generally to provide cooperative hook and slot connections for removably attaching wall panels to spaced stud members, but these known arrangements have in the main been rather complicated and not entirely satisfactory. Dissatisfaction arises from the complications involved when it is desired to install the walls or partitions in such manner that they may be readily changed and altered when desired. In some arrangements the hooks clips were visible and had to be covered by concealing molding which in many instances was undesirable and provided projections on the exposed wall surfaces.

In the present invention the structural arrangement has been greatly simplified by providing panel boards for both obverse and reverse wall faces which have hanging strips laminated to the inner sides along the marginal edges. One previous such structure has been disclosed in our co-pending patent application Ser. No. 766,197, filed Oct. 9, 1968, and entitled Wall Structure. As in that disclosure, the presently disclosed concept includes hanging strips laminated to the back sides along the marginal edges with hooks defined in the strips, the hooks and the cooperating slots in the stud faces haying camming and guiding surfaces and flanking sides on the slots which all coact to greatly facilitate the ease of assembling and demounting 3,603,266 Patented Sept. 28, 1971 the wall structure. In instances where wide panels are used, a central hanging strip may also be laminated to the panel. One problem with such prior devices has been that shipping and storage are made ditficult by the projecting hooks which prevent panels from being shipped and stored flat. Also, floor surfaces are less uniform than ceiling surfaces, such that floor-oriented components have required horizontal guides lines or strings and plumb bobs to align slots and to space studs. Such gauging devices are time consuming and not necessarily precise. In the present invention the slots defined in the hanging strips are coplanar with the panels when the strips and panel are originally assembled and the hooks are such that they may be bent by a simple tool into inwardly projecting orientation with respect to the panel wall at the construction site. The wall structure of the present invention also includes floor wedges insertable at the bottoms of the studs such that the stud tops are always in registry with the ceiling runner for a more uniform installation, since the ceiling is normally more uniform in extent than the floor of the average structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to wall and partition structures of the panel type such as used in building structures, and is more particularly concerned with improvements in the method of installation and the mounting means for permitting the panels to be attached to and removed from supporting studs with ease and without the necessity of having to utilize removal tools.

It is one object of the herein described invention to provide a removable wall structure or partition in which panels are removably attached to supporting studs which are referenced with respect to the ceiling of the structure rather than the floor to achieve a more uniform alignment of panel tops and bottoms.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved wall structure in which panels are removably attached by unique hook and slot means wherein the hooks are initially fabricated so as to be coplanar with the panel to facilitate shipping and storagethereby saving both shipping and storage space-and wherein the hooks are easily displaced from the plane of the panel into a position of use at the point of installation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the accompanying drawings which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an inner face of the panel of the invention showing hanging strips as initially fabricated with the hooks coplanar with the panel surface;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view to a larger scale illustrating the positioning of a tool for elevating the engaging hooks into position of use;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 illustrating the hook bending operation;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective elevation partly broken away showing the installed position of a stud within the floor and ceiling runners;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation shown fragmentarily and illustrating progressive steps in the manner of moving a wall panel into engagement with a stud according to the disclosed method;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, showing the engagement of a floor wedge with the bottom end of a wall stud;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan section illustrating the relative orientation of a stud with respect to the floor runner in initial stages of stud placement;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating procedural steps in the installation of the first two studs and panel of the wall structure of the invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates in perspective a succeeding step to that illustrated in FIG. 8 in the construction of the wall;

FIG. 10 illustrates in perspective the procedure for installing the first reverse panel when the obverse panels are in place on the studs;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan section of a partition wall showing panels installed by the disclosed method on obverse and reverse faces engaged with the first and second studs thereof;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of a relatively wider panel showing three hanging strips on the inner face of the panel; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan section of an alternate embodiment of the wall structure and illustrating in part the method of assembly thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A wall partition panel 11 embodying features of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The panel may be of conventional partition material such as gypsum, asbestos, etc., and has parallel top and bottom edges 13, 14, respectively, and parallel side margins 15, 16. The panels may be conventional in width, thickness, and length, but are preferably 24 or 30 inches wide and the equivalent in length to the floor to ceiling spacings standard within the construction field.

A hanging strip 18 is fixed along each margin of the partition panel. The strips coincide with the marginal edge of the panel. As shown, the ends of each strip are spaced from the top and bottom edges of the panel.

At intervals along strip 18, a hook 19 is integrally formed from the strip material and positioned within the plane of the strip. Each hook is formed from the hanger strip by lateral cutouts 20, 20 of suitable configuration, which may be achieved by sawing, routing, punching, or other convenient means. The hooks may be at intervals of nine inches on the hanging strip. The distance from the top edge of the panel to the top adjacent hook should be identical for the hanging strips of each margin. The strips are bonded to an inner face 21 of the partition panel. Preferably, the area defining each of the hooks is not bonded although it may be. Each hook has a downwardly and outwardly sloping surface 22. and a sloping camming surface 23. The camming surface terminates at its inner end in a locking surface 24 and a right angled support surface 25 at the base portion of each hook.

As is evident from an inspection of FIGS. 1 and 2 panels with the hanger strip of the invention may be shipped flat with no loss of shipping space or storing space due to protruding hooks. The hooks may easily be erected into a position of use at the construction site by the utilization of the tool and method shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The erecting tool 26 has a blade portion 27 adapted to be inserted between the inner face of the panel and the back surface of the hook. A bending gauge block 28 is affixed to the blade. A recess 29 in the gauge block has a stop bottom surface 31 extending across the block. The tool is inserted about each hook and, as can be seen in FIG. 3, surface 31 seats against the outer margin of the hook. The tool is then moved in an arc with respect to the inner face of the panel, bending the hook into the erect position 19a of FIG. 3 along bend line 1% (FIG. 2). Use of the tool requires little skill, since it is a simple matter to insert the blade beneath the hook, breaking the adhesive bond, until the margin of the hook seats against stop surface 31, and move the tool arcuately to erect the hook into its position of use. Preferably, every other hook along a margin is erected so that the hanger strip has erected hooks every 18 inches. Alternate hooks unused in original erection may be utilized after originally used hooks deteriorate after repetitious disassembly and re-erection of the wall.

The preferred stud of the invention is best described with respect to FIGS. 4, 6, and 7. In FIG. 4 a stud 35 is shown extending between a conventional floor runner 37 and a conventional ceiling runner 38. Stud 35 is sub stantially channel-shaped having a back web 39, parallel side legs 41, 42, and inwardly projecting leg flanges 43, 44 on the legs remote from web 39. Each channel leg has a pair of spaced, parallel, recessed walls 46, 47. The recessed walls extend from top to bottom of the stud in each leg. Each recessed wall is bordered by pairs of inwardly converging ramps 49, 50 which also may extend the length of the stud. The parallel recessed walls in a leg contain a plurality of transversely aligned slot pairs made up of slots 52, 53, one in each wall. Each slot is defined by parallel side walls 55, 56 and converging ramp walls 58, 59. Transverse pairs of slots appear in the channel legs at longitudinal intervals of about nine inches, matching hook spacing on the panel. The transverse spacing between slots equals twice the distance between the panel margin and the erected hook, causing panels mounted in adjacent slots to be marginally abutted.

As can be seen from FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, channel 35 rests upon a floor Wedge 61 which comprises triangular side runners 62 depending from a sloping ramp plate 63 from which two sets 64, 65 of ridges 66 rise. The ridges advance up the ramp in equal increments and the ridges of one set are horizontally aligned with the ridges of the second set such that a bottom edge 67 of the stud is constrained between adjacent ridges, located on the wedge ramp. The wedge rests upon a web 71 of fioor runner 37 equidistant between upturned flanges 72, 73 of the runner. Preferably, the runner flanges converge upwardly as can be seen from FIG. 7 such that some inward force is imposed upon the lower portion of the stud.

'In FIGS. 4 and 5, stud 35 extends between floor runner 37 and ceiling runner 38. The latter runner comprises a web 75 from which spaced, parallel registry strips 77, 78 depend. Each registry strip has a connector portion 79 with a step 81 which forms a reference shoulder 82. A second downwardly depending portion 83 extends from the shoulder. The depending portions are spaced farther apart than the connecting portions. Preferably, obverse and reverse fascia strips 85, 86 outboard of the registry strips depend from the web, and with the registry strips define elongate cavities 90. Preferably, the fascia strips and the registry strips are continuous for the length of the ceiling runner.

As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, a top edge 92 of the stud is wedged in registry with reference shoulder 82 of the registry strips. The span between depending portions 83 is such that the outer faces of the channel legs make contact with the inner surface 83a of the depending portion. The wedging force of Wedge 61 tends to hold the stud in vertical orientation against the ceiling runner. The first stud may be positioned as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 ready to receive a first partition panel.

In FIG. 8 a first stud 95 rests upon a wedge '61 in a floor runner 37 and extends upwardly into registration with a ceiling runner 38. The stud is located a few inches from a vertical wall runner 98 which extends between the floor and ceiling runners, for reasons to be explained later. The wall runner has outwardly extending flanges 99 adapted to overlap the margin of a panel such that no space is visible between the panel of the partition and the wall surface 100 from which the partition begins its run.

A first wall panel 101 engages stud 95. The panel is cantilevered from the first stud with its top edge 13 fitted into a cavity 90 of the ceiling runner (see FIG. A second stud 103 is shown in the process of placement between floor and ceiling runners in FIG. 8. Initially the stud has the orientation shown in solid lines 104 in FIG. 7 in which the legs 41 and 42 of the stud face the run of the floor runner. The stud is therefore rotated or twisted about a vertical axis into the orientation shown in phantom lines 105 in FIG. 7 in order to engage marginal hooks 19 of panel 101.

Panel 101 is attached to the first stud in the following manner:

The panel is oriented vertically, raised from the fioor and its top edge inserted into cavity 90. The bottom portion of the panel is spaced outwardly away from the floor runner such that the panel has an attitude of about 30. This panel attitude is shown in FIG. 5 in phantom lines 101a. While the panel is thus raised within cavity 90 the bottom portion of the panel is swung toward the stud such that the hooks 19 enter the upper portion of slots 52. When the panel is flush with the stud face in the position shown by solid lines at 106 in FIG. 5, hooks 19 are engaged sufiiciently with the slots to extend therethrough with locking surface 24 aligned with the inner surface of the recessed wall in which the slots reside. The panel is then lowered into the position indicated by broken line hooks 19a in which position the locking surface abuts the rear surface of recessed wall 46 and support surface 25 of each hook engages the converging ramps 58, 59 of the bottom of each slot.'In this final position the bottom of the panel overlaps flange 73 of the floor runner and the top of the panel is obscured behind fascia strip 86.

Second stud 103 is then placed in the floor runner in the orientation of FIG. 7 and then is twisted or rotated about its vertical axis (-FIG. 8) such that hooks 19 preliminarily engage in the upper portion of the slots of one vertical recess wall of the second stud with the second vertical row of slots exposed beyond the first panel. In this orientation, with the hanger hooks engaged in the slots of the second stud, the stud is not yet referenced against the ceiling runner. A wedge 61 is therefore inserted between the web of the floor runner and the bottom edge of the stud. The stud is thus raised into registry with the ceiling runner (FIG. 9) and the hooks are seated in locked position within the slots of the stud.

The partially constructed wall of FIG. 9 is now in condition to receive a second partition panel 107. The hooks of the second panel 107 are erected as described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3 such that the hooks extend from the inner face of the panel. The panel is then inserted at an angle into cavity 90 of the ceiling runner with the bottom of the panel diverging from the floor runner. The panel is then swung inwardly such that the hooks enter the upper portion of the slots 53 of the second stud and the first and second partition panels are in abutted relationship. The panel is then lowered with respect to the second stud such that the hooks lock in the slots as previously described. The configuration of the slot ramps and the hooks is such that their camming surfaces coact to achieve tightly abutted panels, defining in part of the obverse face of the Wall.

The studs are commonly oriented to the line of the ceiling registry strips. The spacing of the transverse pairs of slots on succeeding studs is identical with respect to the tops of the studs. Therefore, the hooks on a panel seat and lock properly in adjacent studs and the marginal sides of the panels remain true vertically. Vertical alignment is also important when panels are patterned such that the surface patterns must have vertical alignment to achieve proper artistic effect.

It is now apparent that by referencing the studs to the ceiling runner and by placing succeeding studs with reference to the marginal edge of a panel, the tedious and time-consuming necessity for horizontal guide lines and plumb bobs to align slots and space studs and vertically orient studs is obviated. Therefore, the method and apparatus of the invention permit extremely rapid erection of partition panel walls at the same time providing a wall which is simple and easy to disassemble and re-erect.

It is usually necessary to trim the height of studs and panels because of variations in floor to ceiling distances. Such trimming is preferably done at the bottom of the stud or the panel. The vertical spacing of the slots with respect to the top edge of the stud is thus preserved. The spacing of the hooks in the hanging strips with respect to the top edge of the panel is also preserved.

FIG. 10 illustrates the partially erect wall with the two panels of the obverse face in place. A reverse face panel 108 is shown elevated such that its top edge resides in cavity of the ceiling runner. The bottom edge of the panel is not only elevated elevated from the floor, but held outwardly from floor runner 37. With its top edge held within cavity 90, the protruding hooks 19 of the marginal edges 109, 110 of the panel are aligned with the slots 52 of both the first and second studs. The panel 108 is then swung inwardly as indicated by arrow 111 until all of the hooks 19 engage in the upper portion of the slots 52 of both the first and second studs.

After making sure that each of the hooks is engaged, the panel is lowered as indicated by arrow 112 until the hooks lock in the slots such that support surface 25 of each hook resides at the bottom of a slot.

Since the spacing between studs has been determined by a like panel on the obverse face, there is no problem of horizontal hook-slot alignment when the panel 108 of the reverse face is placed in position.

If desired, the partially constructed wall may now be moved along the floor and ceiling runners into registry with wall runner 98. As seen in FIG. 11, first stud and its wedge 61 migrate to close proximity with runner 98. The first marginal edges of each of the panels 101, 107 wedge into the space between stud 95 and the outward flanges 99 of the wall runner. Since second stud 103 is secured to panels 101 and 107, it moves concurrently and maintains its orientation with respect to the other studs of the wall. The wall is then ready for a reverse panel to be fixed to the second and third studs or, if preferred, a third obverse panel (not shown) may be cantilevered from the third stud 113 and a fourth stud (not shown) placed in position with reference to the third obverse panel.

It often happens that the distance to be spanned by the partition wall is not a multiple of the panel width. In such instances, it may be desired to start the wall construction with panels of less than the normal increment in width. One method of starting construction is to trim an obverse and a reverse panel to the proper width to combine with full panels and achieve the wall length desired. The wall panels of reduced width are then cantilevered from a stud spaced from the beginning surface. Such a stud is wedged into reference height as described previously. The two wall panels of reduced width and the wedged stud from which they suspend are then displaced along the floor and ceiling runners until the cantilevered ends of the reduced panels wedge between an initial stud standing adjacent the beginning point of the wall, and the flanges 99 of the wall runner. In such a situation, a stud of heavier wall section or wall strength is preferably utilized for the initial stud such that a strong outward force from the heavier stud legs imposes upon the reduced wall panels to wedge them against the flanges of the wall runner. With the remainder of the wall to be constructed divisible into increments equal to the normal panel width, the method of the invention can then be implemented, regarding the second stud from the wall runner as the first stud of the method.

The wall may be constructed or assembled either by completing in its entirety the obverse face and then placing the reverse wall face panels into fixed relationship with the established studs of the wall, or the reverse face may be applied'alternately with panels of the obverse face. The latter procedure is preferable since it tends to compensate for variations in panel widths resulting from commercial manufacturing tolerances.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a wall built with the method wherein obverse and reverse panels are alternately attached to studs. In FIG. 12 a wider panel 130 than those previously discussed is shown in perspective. The panel is perhaps forty-eight inches wide and has marginal hanger strips 18 along left and right margins, similar to the strips 18 of the previously described embodiment. The panels also has a central hanger strip 131. Like the marginal strips, the central hanger strip has books 19 defined in the plane of the strip. The central hanger strip is aligned such that a longitudinal root line 133 of the hangers coincides with the center of the panel when the hangers are bent into rearwardly or inwardly projecting position.

The wall of this alternate embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13 has an initial panel 135 which has a margin to margin width one-half that of the panel of FIG. 12. Panel 135 is hung from a first stud 137 extending between floor runner 37 and a ceiling runner like runner 38 of the previously described embodiment. First stud 137 is referenced against the ceiling runner by a floor wedge 61. The first half panel is suspended or fixed to the first stud in the manner previously described with respect to the other embodiment. A second stud 139, substantially similar to previously described stud 35, is then placed vertically between the wall and ceiling runners and in the orientation shown in solid lines in FIG. 7. The stud is then rotated or twisted such that the inwardly projecting books 19 of the first half panel engage the slots of the first vertical row in the stud. A wedge 61 is then placed beneath the second stud elevating it into registry against the ceiling runner and seating the hooks in locked position within the stud slots.

A wide panel 140 such as the panel in FIG. 12 is then oriented on the opposite wall face by placing its top margin in a cavity 90 of the ceiling runner. The hooks 19, which have been bent upwardly into an inwardly projecting position from the marginal hanger strips and central hanger strip, as described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, are then aligned with the first slot rows of the first and second studs. The panel is then swung inwardly at its bottom such that the hooks penetrate the upper portions of the slots of the first and second studs. The panel is then lowered such that the hooks seat in locked position within the slots of the first and second stud. The first panel of the reverse face is now in position and the partial wall may be moved into registry with a wall runner like the wall runner 98 as described with respect to FIG. 11. Alternately, the partial wall may be moved against the starting surface 141 and trim strips 142 added later.

The partially completed wall is now ready to receive a third vertical stud 144. The stud is placed between the floor and ceiling runners in approximate alignment with protruding hooks 19 on the margin of panel 140. The stud initially has the orientation of the solid lines in FIG. 7 and is then rotated about a vertical axis such that the books of fixed panel 140 engage in the slots of the stud. Such stud is thereafter raised by means of a wedge 61 such that the studs lock within the longitudinal row of slots in the studs.

It can be appreciated that at this stage two studs, 139 and 144, proffer slot rows into which the slots of hanging strips can be locked. A third panel 146 having two marginal and one central hanger strips can now be applied to these second and third studs. The unengaged erected hooks 13b of the marginal edge 147 of the third panel then hang protruding into the space defined by an extension of the presently hanging panels. A fourth stud 151 can be engaged with the protruding hooks in the manner previously described. After the fourth stud is placed, a pair of studs, 144 and 151, stand ready to receive the hooks 19c, 19d of two hanger strips on the reverse wall side.

Panels having three hanger strips can thus be applied alternately to the obverse and reverse faces of the wall under construction for the length of the wall. In each instance the upstream and central hanger strips are engaged with already erected studs, leaving a marginal hanger strip ready to receive the next succeeding stud.

The wall may be terminated by a panel in the reverse face having half the width of the panels containing three hanger strips. The final panels on obverse and reverse sides may have to be trimmed in accordance with the previously described method of completing a wall having a width not equal to a multiple of the panel width. The final two panels may be installed prior to the installation of the next to last panels in order to be placed within the confines of the wall runner. However, if a wall runner is not used, trim means may be applied to wedge the trimmed marginal edges of the last panels into placce against a terminal at the end of the wall.

We claim:

1. A process for assembling U-shaped studs with slotted legs, wall panels with marginal hooks, floor wedges, and floor and ceiling runners into a removable partition wall comprising the steps of securing longitudinally aligned floor and ceiling runners to the structure to be partitioned; registering the top of a vertically slotted first stud against the ceiling runner, wedging the stud in vertical position in registry with the ceiling runner, securing a wall panel against a face of the first stud by engaging the hooks of one marginal edge of the panel in the stud slots, orienting a second stud within the fioor and ceiling runners a partial turn removed from its final position, rotating the stud about a vertical axis into preliminary registry with the hooks of the other marginal edge of the panel secured to the first stud, and elevating the second stud into registry with the ceiling runner and concurrently securing the stud to the marginal edge of the panel secured to the first stud, and thereafter wedging the second stud in the elevated position in registry with the ceiling runner.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein a second wall panel is secured to the second stud and a third stud is placed in vertical orientation in contact with the fioor and ceiling runners and then rotated into engaging position with respect to the hooks of the marginal edge of the second wall panel and thereafter wedged into registry and engaged positions with respect to the ceiling runner and second panel.

3. A process for assembling a removable partition Wall having obverse and reverse faces from components consisting of floor and ceiling runners, wall panels having engaging hooks on the marginal side edges thereof, channelshaped studs with spaced legs having transverse pairs of longitudinal slots at longitudinally spaced intervals thereon, and stud wedges wherein the steps of the process include registering a first stud against the ceiling runner in vertical orientation, wedging the first stud into such vertical orientation, fixing a first obverse panel to the first stud by engaging the hooks of one marginal side edge thereof with the slots in a leg of the stud, placing a second stud in the floor runner at a transverse orientation removed from final position, twisting the second stud into preliminary engagement with the hooks of one marginal side edge of the fixed first panel, lifting the second stud into registry against the ceiling runner such that the hooks of the marginal edge of the first obverse panel engage the slots of the second stud, wedging the second stud into registered position against the ceiling runner, engaging the hooks of one marginal side edge of a second obverse wall panel with the slots in the second stud not engaged by the marginal hooks of the first panel, placing a third stud into the floor runner and thereafter twisting the stud into preliminary engagement with the marginal hooks of the second obverse wall panel, raising the stud into registry with the ceiling panel and at the same time engaging the hooks of the panel with the slots of the stud, wedging the third stud into registry with the ceiling runner, and successively fixing additional obverse panels to registered studs and then placing a successive stud in engaged relationship with the free edge of an engaged panel until the wall surface on one side of the row of studs is completed, and at chosen intervals engaging reverse wall panels with the reverse faces of studs to enclose the studs within a wall having obverse and reverse faces.

4. A process in accordance with claim 3 utilizing Wall panels having marginal strips with hooks defined flatly in the strip and in planar engagement with the inner surface of the panel including the step of bending the hooks into positions of use projecting from the inner face of the panel and thereafter securing the panel to slotted studs.

5. A process in accordance with claim 3 utilizing wall panels having marginal strips with hooks defined flatly in the strip and in planar engagement with the inner surface of the panel including the step of inserting a tool between the reverse panel face and a hook defined in the strip and bending the hook into a position of use projecting from the inner face of the panel and thereafter securing the panel to slotted studs.

6. A process for assembling a removable partition wall having obverse and reverse faces from components consisting of floor and ceiling runners, wall panels having engaging hooks on the vertical center line and marginal side edges thereof, channel-shapped studs having transverse pairs of longitudinal slots at longitudinally spaced intervals thereon, and stud wedges, wherein the steps of the process include registering a first and a second stud against the ceiling runner in vertical orientation, wedging the first and the second studs into such vertical orientation, fixing a first obverse panel to the first and the second studs by engaging one set of the marginal side edge hooks and the central hooks thereof with the slots in the studs, placing a third stud in the floor runner at a transverse orientation a partial turn removed from final position, turning the third stud into preliminary engagemeut with the hooks of the fixed first obverse panel, lifting the third stud into registry against the ceiling runner such that the hooks of the marginal side edge of the first obverse panel engage the slots of the third stud, wedging the third stud into registered position against the ceiling runner, engaging the hooks of a second reverse wall panel with the slots in the second stud not engaged by the marginal hooks of the first panel, at the same time engaging the central hooks of the second panel with the slots of the third stud, placing a fourth stud into the floor runner and thereafter turning the stud into preliminar engagement with the marginal side edge hooks of the second reverse wall panel, raising the fourth stud into registry with the ceiling panel and at the same time engaging the hooks of the panel with the slots of the stud, wedging the fourth stud into registry with the ceiling runner, and successively fixing obverse and reverse panels alternately to registered studs and then placing a successive stud in engaged relationship with the free edge of an engaged panel until the Wall surfaces are completed.

7. A process in accordance with claim 6 utilizing Wall panels having marginal strips with flat hooks defined in the strip and in planar engagement with the reverse surface of the panel including the step of inserting a tool between the reverse panel face and the hook defined in the strip and bending the hook into a position projecting from the reverse face of the panel and thereafter securing the panel to slotted studs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,289 6/1917 Otte 52498 1,468,285 9/ 1923 Dampney 52489X 1,575,705 3/1926 Oberdorfer et al. 52238 2,019,110 10/1935 Ball 52511 2,076,472 4/ 1937 London 52241X 2,082,314 6/1937 Venzie 52492X 2,664,978 1/1954 Fox 52--511X 2,796,158 6/1957 Miles et a1. 52241 3,072,227 1/1963 Baker 52241 3,187,694 6/1965 Crookston et a1. 52511 3,230,684 1/1966 Vinje 52391X 3,429,090 2/ 1969 Metelnick 52481 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,463,160 11/1966 France 52-122 ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

